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‘Spa Six Hours’ - The Top Hat Masters All Series Endurance Race - 25-28 September 2008Event Report by John Davies Roberts  I think we are truly blessed with good weather when we go to Spa especially in September (notoriously unpredictable in the Ardenne Forest) for the Spa 6 hour event. With a track schedule of:
Ably assisted by my “In-House” IT chief Steve Andrew from Applied IT Solutions, www.appliedITsolutions.co.uk we travelled to Spa on Wednesay ahead of my co-driver Chris Keith-Lucas, who was stopped at the Port of Dover for carrying a gas bottle for his welding kit. UGHHH!! Testing on Thursday, was me tearing round for 50 minutes and putting in 3 Min 17 Sec laps in bright blue sunshine. I came in after 25 minutes, to get the feel of the new F1 Pit layout and a bottle of water to keep me hydrated and back out again for another 25 minutes to finalise my race lines around this very fast circuit. This was excellent preparation for Quali on Friday. Thursday afternoon, CKL arrived with Andy K-L’s XK150S, Stefan Zeigler from Switzerland with his black XK120 Roadster who also brought his very original Jaguar ‘D’ Type to race, fresh from the Goodwood Revival the previous weekend. Please see the photos attached of the four car line up and dressed to kill under the Marquees. Quali went well and CKL had a chance to put in some fast laps and, with a 3 min 17 sec lap. We qualified in 49th place out of 77 cars. This truly was the full compliment of cars that even this 4.33 Mile lap of Spa can take. Again it was dry and the early afternoon sun shone with ambient temperatures of nearly 20 Degrees C (68 Degrees F). Sunday was race day at 09:00 hours and, thank goodness, we were in for yet another dry day. However, the race was very eventful. Having qualified as the 1st Jaguar, I did the Rolling Start and really fired it over the line and put in some very fast first laps. I overtook three Lotus Cortinas, a BMW 1800. Some cars went off and others retired when, loveable Tim Llewellyn in his even more loveable blue 1965 Corvette Stingray, powered by a 5+ Litre V8 shot past me on the Kemmel straight. But his car wasn’t handling at all well and I was catching him on the corners. Now the thought had crossed my mind to give him some gap, as I really wasn’t going to get past him and maintain position. But no!! I followed him up to the La Source hairpin right behind him, when his engine decided to let go, (A brand new engine too!) dumping oil to be collected by his rear tyres and all four of mine. We proceeded to engage in what I can only describe as, a synchronised double pirouette. I managed to get the car restarted in three seconds, but three Jaguars managed to pass me and I drove hard to catch them. Indeed, I caught Michael O’Shea in his XK150 DHC, only for the Safety Car to be deployed as someone else had managed to dump oil on the entry to Stavelot. Marshalls were at La Source and Stavelot brushing concrete dust to dry the oil and I was stuck in this queue for a further four laps. At that stage Steve had put out the Pit Board to tell me to come in for the change over. CKL took my place and I watched his persuit of the impossible to catch Ian Mills (from Twyford Moors Motors) in his XK150 FHC and to pass Stefan in his XK120. CKL did a very creditable job in passing Ian Mills and Stefan only to spin the car coming out of Rivage 2. This seems to be his “area” for spinning. Together with the subsequent ‘Pouhon’ Entry in the June race. But finally, he overhauled Stefan on an increasingly slippery track to bring the car home in one piece and gain……. …….having qualified 49th out of 77 cars and, with two spins under our respective belts we finished 32nd in the race This was a wonderful five days away where we met many Jaguar owners and interested parties in the MWS product line. The brochures were flying off the stands and Isabella’s business cards were disappearing fast. We will be back racing in the UK again on the 18th October at Snetterton. Look out for us and the Motor Wheel Service Marquee in the Paddock. John D R |
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